Lord of White
by ActuallyRedEyes
Summary: Where dragons fill the gap between beast and man, peace is shattered when a crimson dragon lays waste to a peaceful city without warning. Left with no option than to find the cause, Dragontamer Seto Kaiba and his partner Kisara work to track down the culprit. Aided by a boy who can sense beasts, a fierce Black dragon and his blunt partner, they may more than a dragon gone feral. AU
1. Prelude

The seaside town of Basra had never seen conflict, and most of its citizens were much the same, remaining within the simple confines certain that their lives were ones to be lived in peace. No disaster had been known to strike the region, the dangers of the sea was understood and the waves were always prepared for, and hurricanes were known to turn away as though to avoid the harbor. Surely they thought they must have been blessed by some sort of higher power all this time.

And perhaps they were.

But it was not fated to last.

There was no warning when the first bombardment came, and no explanation offered. Swift as a thunderstorm, a huge red dragon slipped out of the darkening stormclouds and turned its rage upon the small, seaside town. Reports varied on the creature's size; some thought it may have been the size of a large house, while others claimed the dragon's length span that of the entire town.

The shrieking roar was only matched by the agonizing screech of metal foundation being ripped from its hinges as the great beast pulled them apart with a single swipe of its massive claws. Adorned in blood red scales, the calamity descended and razed the town to its roots with breath that flashed and burned like bolts of raw lightning.

There was no time to fight back or react other than to flee.  
Of the those that survived, all spoke of the tale of the beast and the horrors left in its wake. Stories of destruction and heartbreak spread across the land, until the request for reparation found its way to the door of a tamer in white.  
–

* * *

One thousand problems this city dealt with, a thousand problems and somehow they expected him to solve them all himself. Seto Kaiba did more than his fair share and no one would begrudge him that, but it never felt like enough. And now…this.  
Refugees were flooding into the gated city of Durak, desperately seeking both the promise of shelter and treatment for numerous injuries, and most of them brought little more than the clothes on their backs and similar stories of fear and heartbreak. It didn't take long to find out the source of their arrival and horror thankfully, but the knowledge of it did little to help in efforts to assuage the issue. And that was that an entire town had been wiped off the face of the region by some rogue red dragon with a grudge and apparently he was the only one in a fifty-mile radius with the guts to try to track it down.

Naturally, the House of White stepped in to deal with the refugees' misfortune, his family did have the most pull in this city, in spite of whatever the governor thought. But with the old Lord dead and his brother presently away in training, all the responsibility fell of Seto's shoulders as the current Lord. If it weren't for the sudden outcry of activity and violence so early following his rise to power, before the House servants and staff had adjusted to the change, it wouldn't have been such a concern.  
But the timing was absolutely horrendous.  
And Seto sat stiff-backed in his office writing down instructions for his staff in a looping scrawl, rough and impatient and eager to be on his way, the call of the air and the hunt far more appealing that the veritable mountain of complaints rising up from the citizenry. The usual issues, alongside pointlessly petty anger at how many of the refugees Durak had taken in, thanks in large part to backing from the House of White. He must have been broadcasting his annoyance louder than he intended because a ripple of concern floated through his mental link like a rush of cool water, ' _Seto?'_

' _I'm fine,_ ' Seto grumbled, not wanting to upset her. But the fact was that whoever beast was that he was dealing with wasn't some average enemy to fight. Tracking them would be dangerous, but letting them roam free was even moreso. In any case, dealing with this had to come first. He rose from his chair, setting the papers aside where his assistant could find them, along with a note reiterating his departure and orders for a delay to be sent along to his brother's academy, and strode out into the halls.  
At least they had a lead.  
The moment his House discovered the cause of Basra's destruction, messengers had been despatched to the capital via several Secondary class dragons who'd volunteered for the job to inform them, alongside relatively gentle interrogations of the survivors to find the dragon's identity.  
Something that all of the survivors agreed upon was that the dragon who'd destroyed their town was red and massive in scale, and judging from the level of destruction they'd let loose in such a short time, likely far more powerful than the average Primary class. If it was one that belonged to the dreaded Immortal class, he would have to resort to other tactics than a one on one fight, but letting it go free was unacceptable after all the issues the beast had heaped at his door. And Seto know when he wanted something so important done, it was best to do it himself.

Additionally, he had a location of where to find the beast. Eye witness reports from the refugees and various travelers moving along the same route placed the red dragon moving southeast, in the exact direction of a great cavern that had long been known to be the home of a territorial high-class dragon. The locals never saw what color it was, only that it was vastly protective of its lair and expelled intruders with a blast of white heat that sounded eerily similar in description to what the survivors of Basra felt. Due to the fact that no one living nearby was able to enter the lair for very long, it was assumed for the dragon to be mildly feral. Despite the sparseness of the information, the cave was currently his best bet, and such a huge red creature on the hunt couldn't go unspotted for very long anyhow. It wasn't a perfect approximation, but it was something.  
Something was always better than nothing.

 _'Seto, I know you're worried_ ,' He halted in his tracks, black boots clicking lightly against tiles of pale grey marble. Kisara could read him too easily, more than any person he'd ever met. Of course, if that weren't the case, would they still be partners? And naturally, she was a White; picking apart emotions and stress was like reading a book to her. If it were anyone else, pulling through the emotions he was generally content to shove into a box, Seto would have been horrified. Her voice trickled over his consciousness soothingly and calmed the race of strategy dashing through his mind, rather like a softly flowing river, ' _I have faith in your plan, and you have faith in me, right?'_ He allowed a small nod, slowing his reckless pace through the polished halls of the sprawling mansion. ' _Right, so if anything goes wrong out there, I'll protect you.'_

Seto paused, taken off guard, one hand resting on the heavy, oak doorway leading out onto the balcony. ' _It shouldn't come to that. …but thank you._ '

He pushed open the door, and there she was, standing at the railing of the too-large balcony (a necessity for a take-off for a dragon of her class), a satchel of packed essentials lying at her feet. Kisara was always quick to prepare for a journey, no matter how long or short, given that she too once lived among the wild. Hopefully, they wouldn't gone long enough to need much of what she's packed, but they never knew; it helped to be prepared. Sturdy traveling clothes adorned her in navy and stormy grey, elegant but not too fragile, matching with his proofed white coat.

They exchanged a nod and Seto took the satchel over his shoulders and stood back to watch. From the first time the white dragon had risen above the skyline and into his line of sight, Seto knew that he had to find her again. He'd seen the transformation about a hundred times by now, but he never got tired of it, seeing Kisara in her natural state. And he didn't think he ever would either.

The claws and tail came first, curling outward in a flash of white scale that caught the light and threw sparks of blue across the ground in brilliant bursts. By the time the scales reached her elbows, the wings came next, exploding outward abruptly from her back and winding around her form. The light after that was too bright to look directly at, but the moment the wings pulled away, Kisara's true form was revealed. A beautiful White-class dragon with flawless blue eyes standing on his balcony.

 _'Please Seto, you're embarrassing me.'_

He coughed, composed himself. They had work to do…  
She tilted her wings, readied for flight and the Tamer in White pulled himself onto the smooth niche between her shoulder blades with the ease of someone who'd done so countless times before. Time to track down their rogue assailant, and capture or at the very least identify them, ' _Hopefully in time to return for dinner.'_

Kisara's chiming laugh through their link was the last thing Seto heard before mighty wings moved into action, launching them into the sky, and after their prey.

* * *

 _Today's notes-_

 _Dragon classes are divided into six distinct classes: Immortal, White, Black, Primary, Secondary, and Demi._  
 _-_  
 _White Class-_

 _The highest rank of dragon capable of bonding with a human and also exceptionally rare. White class are some of the most powerful mortal dragons in the world and being able to bond with one is considered a sign of power and prestige that can catapult a Tamer from unknown to legendary. Whites cannot assume their humanoid forms for as long as other classes, but are just as capable of miniaturizing themselves. Many Whites possess empathetic tendencies to detect lies or sense the emotional state of those around them. Despite their power and fame, the inability of most Tamers to handle them makes them not as highly sought after as the Black class or Primaries._

 _example: Kisara_


	2. Encounter

_A/N:The last of my prewritten chaps, I'd write ahead, but I got impatient._

* * *

Learning to fly for a Tamer was no simple matter, and no matter how many times one had done the deed, the act could never be as effortless and one tried to make it appear. Seto Kaiba knew this all too well.

The House of White was one that specialized in the art of Taming for centuries, since the day of its first founding, and every son and daughter born into their line was expected to learn the trade. Seto was no exception; expected to seek out and partner with a rare breed to bring pride to his line and found that with Kisara, a blue-eyed dragon that captured his attention when she first crested the horizon over his family's manor. He saw a thick coat of pale scales reflecting the fire of the setting sun, and the subtle curve of her horns and knew he was dealing with a queen who could tear the world asunder with a sweep of her claws. From that one moment, no other partner would suffice, no matter how powerful or truly regal they might be. He had to find the White and acquire her loyalty, no matter what it took or the costs.

Messengers were sent out in droves using the numerous connections of the House, seeking an audience with the White Class with Blue Eyes, and offering her sanctuary. No answers were returned, frustration and desperation culminating in the heir, making him ever more reckless the more elusive his goal became. A dragon mightier than the howl of gale force winds, made so fleeting that he may as well have been chasing a phantom.

What Seto didn't know at the time–but would have had he fully researched (or cared for) the history of his Family–was the fact that this wasn't the first time that a blue-eyed dragon captured the attention of his bloodline. Long before his time, another man known as Seto of Awst chased a White dragon that entranced him to edge of the sea, and from his trial and victory established the House of White in honor of the first White dragon to accept the partnership of man. From the moment of that alliance, it became commonplace for every child raised in the House to be trained in the art of Taming, and to seek out a partner with which to share their talents. It wasn't always a requirement to seek a White, but it was highly encouraged, and those who succeeded were often favored and certain to be remembered by history.

The first Seto thought this was ideal, and that all of his line should aspire to the White class because of the majesty he held in them, just as his talented descendant believed. It was from him that Seto Kaiba inherited the name, and in whose footsteps that he had unknowingly begun to follow in. The White dragon, her destiny entwined with his through something beyond time, was much the same.

And it was only too fitting that they would meet in such a similar manner, and form an alliance continued in that tradition. Seto chased the White Dragon to the northernmost coastline, and the very border of his territory, losing the so-called phantom in the mists. It was only after Seto's frustration cost him his footing on the treacherous, moss-covered cliffsides that the dragon suddenly appeared before him again, plucking him from the air before crashing sea could claim him. When her name finally reached his ears that day, Seto pledged a contract with her to bring a new age to a world gone stagnant under the House of White, and–moved by his drive and vision–Kisara agreed.

It was to that end that Seto practiced; gliding through the skies may have been second nature to her, but guiding and learning the proper mounted technique, navigation, and the movement of every different current of wind was something he had to force his human body to endure and conquer.

No matter the difficulty, he would be the best.

But though they have driven corruption from the streets of Durak and forged alliances that would carve their names into history for years to come, there was always more obstacles to surmount.

The dragon they chased now was just one more accomplishment to add to what they had already done, even if it was an Immortal.

Seto wasn't afraid; he'd planned his approach out very thoroughly, accounting for the possibility that his quarry might attack them on sight. A head-on attack was naturally a bad idea, but while the power of an Immortal was overwhelming, they did have one weakness that he'd already uncovered. More than that…they had to actually find the dragon in question before anything could be done to stop it. ' _Kisara, do you sense anything yet? We should be getting close to the beast's projected hideout._ '

Although Whites of her level could read emotions like open books, sensing the location of other dragons was somewhat tougher if they were a good distance away. But this was no ordinary prey, but an Immortal. One drawback to having so much power was the inability to suppress it; the rogue Red Immortal could not hide from them for long. Which was why Seto was not surprised when Kisara great fringe of spines dipped, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the landscape, ' _You know it can be difficult to–oh!'_ Her wings beat a little faster, and the sight of a small, sprawling village came into view beyond a stretch of dense trees. The sun was long since set, but there was still enough light from the moon to see the village was in one piece. It was curious that the settlement seemed at peace instead of burned to the ground like he'd expected as such after the disaster at Basra, but didn't get much of a chance to think on the matter. ' _I can sense it. Mmn, the cave is occupied. It is definitely an Immortal, I can feel it rattling my bones.'_

That was enough for Seto, and with a simple gesture, he directed her to a smooth, spiraling landing at the outskirts of the town, not far from the cavern's entrance. Slipping off the White, he pulled the supply satchel off her back and waited a moment for the young woman's form to shrink into the more human body for convenience's sake.

But before they could make for the cave, a young man called out to them from the village, running over and gesturing for them to wait. With Seto crossing his arms impatiently and silently for the youth to regain his breath, Kisara chose to step in before her Tamer could shoot off an alienating demand. "Is something the matter for you to come rushing out here like this?"

"Ah…yes, milady. I would advise against the cave of late, the dragon within has been unusually active. He had always expelled intruders without seriously harming them, but with his new temperament, I do not know if that will continue…" The young man shifted his glance between Kisara and Seto confusedly, recognizing them from somewhere, but unable to pin down where.

Such a reaction was more common than they would have liked. Fame was one thing, but it had interfered on more than one occasion.

But the Heir of White had no patience for it now, not for such an important task.

He sniffed disapprovingly and turned on his heel for the cavern, heedless of the boy's warnings, and not giving him an opportunity to recognize from where he'd seen the Heir before. Seto only gave him a warning of his own in response to the worries, "This is official Tamer business. I suggest that you evacuate immediately." They didn't have time for any more of an explanation regardless. Somehow the town had escaped destruction for now, and there there was the possibility that the lair had multiple entrances that would allow the alleged feral to keep a low profile, but rogue dragons rarely remained silent for very long once they began to rampage.

Kisara dismissed the young man back to his town with an insistence to lead the people away in case of a fight and caught up with him quickly, her body growing more tense as they neared the lair entrance. In truth the yawning blackness was making his nerves taut as well, even if he wouldn't say it aloud. His partner could sense it either way, and knew better than to bring up his insecurities now, on a mission of all things.

Deep within the darkness, an Immortal awaited them. Plenty of reason to be on edge.

Seto tapped his lip, a silent sign to stick to mental communication from then on, and Kisara nodded in understanding. ' _Silent as the moon sliding across the water.'_ She tightened her scarf, keeping the long strands of luminous white hair from spilling from her grey coat, and followed him in with flowing strides. They moved very closely along the sides of the walls, clinging behind dips in the stone that would afford some shielding from unseen eyes.

The walls of the cave were covered with scorch marks both old and recent, presumably from all the times the dragon within chased intruders out of its lair, likely treasure hunters believing the beast harbored some priceless hoard. It was also unnaturally round in shape, with few noticeable stalagmites or deviations from the single path. The only 'forks' were small tunnels that few adults could fit through, but Kisara ignored them as her senses guided them onward. Some time into their exploration, the cave floor sloped downward, deeper into the earth than he would've have expected. With the steadily increasing depth, the temperature began to increase, warmth clinging to the dark stone and combating the chill air blowing in from outside.

Seto irritably wondered if reaching the Immortal meant he was going to be facing them down in an underground sauna, far from the cool weather they had prepared for before departure. But there was something…wrong in the air. A chill that had nothing to do with with the warmth, like the feeling of being watched from something besides the dragon that still lay somewhere ahead. Seto hated the thought of being stalked like prey, and that whomever or whatever was following him kept as silent as they were. He glanced over his shoulder with prickling paranoia, but saw nothing behind, and Kisara didn't sense another presence but the one they were tracking. Seto resisted the urge to grind his teeth in annoyance, mentally daring his pursuer to show themselves, rather than force him to cause a commotion that might draw attention.

Unexpectedly, the unseen follower did precisely that.

"Excuse me, are you two lost?" The politeness of the voice did not diminish the surprise it caused, and Seto stiffened up, snapping his mouth shut hard enough to make an audible noise between his teeth. Kisara, her attention wholly focused on the path ahead and the Immortal, jumped at the greeting and backed up into her partner. Seto didn't waste any time, and turned to glare at the newcomer who'd blown their quiet entrance, and was summarily caught off guard.

The boy couldn't have been from the village at least, they would have noticed him earlier. He was garbed all in rough, dark grey leathers, and the tunic rested loosely on a small frame, held in place by several belts holding over a dozen tiny pouches. A practical outfit at best, but an undoubtedly cheap one, evidenced by the restitched marks and complete lack of proper tailoring. There was no way that he bought the clothes with the condition and fitting; they were probably scavenged, or stolen. Supporting this, the boy was barefoot, and had been for quite some time if the callouses were anything to go by.

But the bigger detail about him that made the boy stand out was the hair. The majority of it was a spiky mane of jet black that contrasted with the much lighter bangs. Violet highlights streaked through it regularly, just the same color as his inquisitive eyes.

And something about him was utterly unnerving.

No one should have been able to sneak up on him like that, and Kisara should have been able to sense his presence from that close, dragon or not. It was as though the boy had simply teleported out of nowhere. ' _Kisara? What is he?'_

She lowered her head, furrowed brow in concentration as her normally calm voice wavered in his mind, ' _I…I don't know. He doesn't feel like a dragon, but I can't read him at all. The books are there, but the bindings are sealed too tight.'_ A sensory seal? Was that possible? Seto had researched dragonkind and their magic for years, but he'd never heard of such a thing. Time to resort to a more direct approach to deal with him.

"And who are you? This place is the home of a dangerous dragon, too risky for someone to come in unprepared," Seto's tone sharpened, but it seemingly had no effect on the wide-eyed stranger. He could usually intimidate with that alone, but it didn't seem to be doing any good this time. So as an afterthought he added, "Tamer business should not be interrupted by ordinary citizens."

The other looked slightly annoyed before he brushed it off, "My name's Yugi and I know this cave better than anyone else from the outside. I do live here after all, so it should be okay."

Live here?

The very idea was ridiculous, and Seto intended to prove it immediately, "How could a kid possibly live in a lair where numerous hunters have tried and failed to breach over the years?" Unexpectedly, anger broke out on the strange boy's face, and he stomped a foot in frustration.

"That's so rude! I'm already nineteen years old, I'm not a kid!"

The White Tamer himself just recently had his nineteenth birthday, and the potential scavenger claimed to actually be older? Before Seto could shoot that down for the obvious lie that it was, the chiming thoughts of his partner interrupted, ' _His emotions at least are clear. The boy seems to be telling the truth…let's not anger him enough to draw the Immortal's attention, please?'_ Her partner nodded, still nursing his doubts anyway but decided not to pursue them here.

"Fine, I don't care. But this lair is still exceedingly dangerous. Leave while we finish our business with the dragon here, we have a lot to… _ask_ them about," And he tried again to shoo Yugi off with his tone, but it failed once more. Thankfully the boy's anger seemed to have calmed enough for him to answer.

"Oh, you mean Atem. He's sleeping, you'll have to come back later," The statement was delivered so calmly that Seto had to step back a pace and rethink.

' _He knows the dragon by name!?'_

 _'Be careful Seto, we don't want to do anything too hasty…'_

He let a moment pass in contemplation, mulling over the fact that the feared quarry was acquainted with a human. If that was the case, had the target really gone feral at all? Or was the destruction of Basra due to some kind of personal grudge? ' _…This is fortunate actually. If the boy knows the dragon personally, we can use him to ensure an audience, it's the perfect opportunity._ ' Kisara sent a subtle acknowledgement but no more than that. Seems like she was still worried, but now that they'd been discovered, it was time to improvise. "No, we can't do that. We're here on official business and we can't leave until we've seen the dragon we've come so far for…"

Yugi rocked on his feet, considering his proposal. At Seto's side, Kisara was still staring at the boy, puzzlement dominating her face, still trying to figure out what was so unusual about him. And while the Tamer was curious as well–in his own way–the Immortal and their questionable motives took priority. There would be plenty of time later to figure out why Yugi was practically invisible on a dragon's radar.

Coming to a decision, the strange boy straightened up and faced them, "Alright, I'll wake him up for you. But you should be careful not to upset him, he doesn't like to be woken up before the sun's up, and might be kinda cranky." Path set, he strode ahead, Seto falling into step behind him. From a tactical standpoint, it was best if he was behind the one who was more accustomed with the area, especially if the Immortal was 'cranky.' Somehow though, the name Yugi mentioned seemed oddly familiar to him, but he couldn't recall ever hearing of a dragon named "Atem."

 _'Something doesn't feel right, Seto. I won't raise a fuss yet, but just know that I'll be ready to change at a moment's notice if anything goes wrong.'_ The Tamer's lips thinned into the suggestion of a smile; she also sensed his concern. If it were anyone else, the dip into his thoughts would have angered him. But the bond of Tamer and dragon went both ways, and her energy was flowing with the controlled ebb of one who was about to transform for a fight. Meanwhile, Seto rested his hand subtly on the saber sheathed at his side; against a dragon it would do little–if any–damage, but there were always other uses for a sharp sword. They were prepared.

When the downward slope of the cavern finally began to level out, and the heat stopped rising so unmercifully–a concern that their guide apparently had no issue with–Yugi led them into a wide open antechamber with a curved dome that reached high above their heads. Shallow basins of steamy water Seto identified as natural hot springs bubbled up from crevices in the earth to form almost perfect wading pools, and luminous crystals embedded in the ceiling cast myriad light across their surface.

But the real target, the dragon, was dead center of the massive room. And from the instant he saw it, when Yugi called out for him to wake up, Seto knew he'd made an error.

It was a perfect sphere of flawless gold, so still it could have been mistaken for the largest piece of treasure in the world. But he didn't need to be a dragon to sense its true nature; power and nearly tangible life-force flowed of the shining surface like rays of light from a mighty sun, and even with the shape, no one on earth could possibly mistake it for anything other than an Immortal dragon. Hearing the boy's calls, the surface rumbled, and Seto swore for a moment that his own bones were rattling to the movement as well. All too smoothly, the sphere unfolded, claws and head and wings that seemed monstrous in scale even for a dragon, especially for one packed into a relatively small space. The beaked shape of its head and pseudo-feathered wings were bird-like in structure and, along with the heat, was a dead giveaway as to the Immortal's true identity.

The Immortal was one that had not been seen for many years, but the description and tales were unforgettable. The familiarity of the name was suddenly apparent.

He was not simply "Atem," but Atemrah, the Immortal scion of the sun.

And he was not red.

They had found the wrong dragon.

* * *

 _Today's Notes-_  
 _-_  
 _Immortal-_

 _The rarest class; the number of Immortal class dragons still in the world do not even count into the double digits. The wear and stress they impose on the soul of a tamer is too great for any human being to be able to withstand, thus they have never been known to enter a bonded partnership for any length of time, let alone for life. Very little is known about them due to the lack of contact they have with humanity, the exception being the Royal Triad, who are literal rulers of a major country with regular human interaction._  
 _Note that although Immortals have a limitless life span, they can still fall to death if slain in battle, and have difficulty hiding their presence like lower classes._

 _example: Atemrah_


End file.
